Importance Of Freedom In Fahrenheit 451

Throughout history, people have been willing to die in protest against authorities for their ideas and their freedom of thought. The British tried to silence Gandhi when he fought to end imperialism in India and lead his homeland to independence. Some authoritative figures tried to silence Martian Luther King Jr when he fought against the accepted discrimination of the day and led the Civil Rights Movement. These two, and many more, believed that freedom of thought and their ability to express those thoughts despite was something worth dying for. The book Fahrenheit 451 emphasizes the importance of standing up for your ideas and freedom of thought. Through the development of Montag, the main character of Ray Bradbury’s dystopian novel, Fahrenheit 451, the importance of freedom of thought and ideas is not only stressed, but shown as an ideal worth dying for.
“It was a pleasure to burn.”

Montag has done a total reversal since when he met Clarisse. He started out as a man who burned books and destroyed ideas to a man who now not only wants to protect them, but bring back the freedom of thought. He seeks out a professor, Faber, who lost his job after his liberal arts school shut down because of lack of interest. During their first meeting, Faber is scared that Montag might arrest him or turn him in because of his position. Faber denies knowing anything about how many copies of different books are left. This is the first time Montag takes action and contacts someone with the intent of bringing back ideas. Although they do not accomplish much in their first meeting, the event is still significant because it shows his future intentions and his changes. “We have everything we need to be happy, but we aren’t happy. Something’s missing.” (78) Montag is no longer a servant to the system, but one who defies it and wishes to release the truth despite the government’s intentions to silence